


Black Knight, White Knight

by IceBlueRose, Jael, LarielRomeniel



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Chess, F/M, Fix-It, Friendship, Gen, Post-Episode: s01e15 Destiny, Team Bonding, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-07
Updated: 2016-07-07
Packaged: 2018-07-22 05:32:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7421836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IceBlueRose/pseuds/IceBlueRose, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jael/pseuds/Jael, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LarielRomeniel/pseuds/LarielRomeniel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Martin Stein is just looking for one person on the Waverider to play a decent game of chess. He finds that person in the least (or most?) likely teammate imaginable ... and that unexpected friendship may have far-reaching results.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Black Knight, White Knight

**Author's Note:**

> This started as a headcanon I (Jael/@stillthewordgirl) posted months ago on Tumblr. Recently, I reposted it, and IceBlueRose picked it up and ran with it, followed by LarielRomeniel. So, we decided to turn it into an actual story. 
> 
> First part by Jael, second part by IceBlueRose, third part by LarielRomeniel -- who also did a lot of work merging writing styles and story threads with this.
> 
> Enjoy!

It starts not long after they depart 2046. 

 Martin Stein is not alone in asking Gideon what diversions might be available on the ship, but he _is_ the only one who visibly perks up at the sight of the chess set that's in storage. 

 It's a beautiful thing, really, all of the pieces hand-carved and lovingly polished from light or dark wood. It was doubtless beloved of some past Time Master who once served on the Waverider—although the box is now dusty and clearly hasn't been opened in some time. 

 But that's not why he smiles to himself as he carefully removes the white queen from her foam cradle and rolls her between his fingers, replaces her, pats the board reverently and carries the whole set out into the ship. 

 "Ah, Jefferson! Care to learn to play?" 

 His partner-in-Firestorm gives him a somewhat withering look, although it's somehow also an affectionate one. He's dealt with his own boredom by talking Gideon into giving him access to more information on the mechanics of the ship, and he's poring over the documents intensively. 

 "Gray, I already know how. Learned years ago from my uncle. Before we left, I could even beat him two times out of three." The younger man grins. " 'Course, the real victory was the day I beat my aunt." 

 "Really? And I did not know this?" Stein is briefly nonplussed, but rebounds with a smile. "Excellent! Would you favor me with a game?" 

 Jefferson shakes his head. "Nope." 

 "Excuse me?" 

 "Look, Gray. I'm not bad, but I kind of doubt I'm at your level, you know? And I don't really need to hear any more lectures." Through their link, Stein can feel that Jefferson feels bad for letting him down. "Hey, maybe Ray plays? He was wandering around here earlier." 

 Dr. Palmer does, indeed, play. He's even willing to put down his book and go for a game or two. 

 Stein is thrilled … and beats him inside 20 minutes. Several times. The Atom may be a genius, but he's just not a particularly imaginative player … and he telegraphs every move he makes. 

 (The professor may confess to wondering, briefly, if he can talk his colleague into a game of poker...) 

 Dr. Palmer, chagrined, goes back to his book. 

 Captain Hunter is holed up in his study, and Mr. Rory has growled, sometimes literally, at anyone who approaches him since they left 2046. Stein doesn't even bother with either of them. 

 Ms. Saunders demurs with a smile; Ms. Lance, with a laugh. But she also motions to the tall figure who's followed her up from the hold, still idly passing a deck of cards from hand to hand. 

 "I bet Snart plays." 

 The crook gives her a _look_. (Stein wonders, just a little, at their growing … friendship, is it?) But then he shrugs. 

 "I do, actually," he drawls. "Don't know that I'm the type of opponent the professor is looking for, though." 

 Stein cannot keep the faint skepticism off his face. Mr. Snart is correct: A criminally inclined high-school dropout is not someone he sees as a valid … well, any sort of a challenge at all, really. 

 But, he thinks, in for a penny... 

 Mr. Snart looks briefly nonplussed that Stein still wants to play, but – with another of those _looks_ at Ms. Lance – he shrugs his acceptance. Stein sets up the board, but frowns when the other man says with a smirk that he'll take the black pieces, thereby giving up any advantage the first move might entail. 

 Still, the tall crook and the gray-haired professor both lean over the board to consider their moves. 

 The rest of the team senses a diversion. Ms. Lance, a smile on her face, drifts over to whisper something to Jefferson and Dr. Palmer, who are taking this all in with a strange combination of amusement and amazement. Then she perches on the table next to Ms. Saunders to watch the pair of players. 

 Stein has a somewhat humoring smile on his face at first, while Mr. Snart merely considers the pieces with his usual laser-sharp glare. 

 A few moves in, Stein is beginning to feel surprised. 

 Later, a few lines form between his eyes, and a frown appears. 

 Eventually, it turns back to a smile, even as he sits back in his chair, shakes his head, knocks the white king to the board, and looks at his opponent. 

 "Where," he says with faint amazement, "did you learn to play?" 

 The crook shrugs again, turning the black king over and over in long fingers. 

 "My grandfather." The shadow of an actual smile touches his lips. "A very long time ago. You don’t get to play much in ... the sort of life I lead. Nice to know I can still win a game versus a valid opponent." 

 Stein swells a little at that, and smiles back. "Rematch?" 

 "Sure, why not?" Mr. Snart is nonchalant as they begin to reset the board. But coming from him, that's practically Ray's usual ebullience, Stein thinks to himself. Fascinating. 

 At the same time Ms. Lance, smiling widely, hops down from the table and heads purposefully back to Jefferson and Dr. Palmer, who, with some disgruntlement, both hand over cash. 

 She divvies it up as she walks away from them, then smacks Mr. Snart in the shoulder with the bills. He eyes her with surprise, then smirks, nods and pockets it. 

 "Did we just get hustled?" Dr. Palmer asks, a plaintive note in his voice. "Sara, how did you know he was going to win?" 

 "I didn't." She relents. "Guys. The man used to plan heists out to the second. He thinks ahead. _Of course_ he plays chess." 

 "Yeesss..." Mr. Snart drawls, "but how did you know I played _well_?" 

 But having dropped that bit of insight, she just gives him a speaking glance, a grin, and a pat on the shoulder he actually allows as she walks out of the room. 

 Stein remains downright gleeful at finding a worthwhile opponent … although after losing the next two games, he's a bit less amused. Then, he wins one. 

 "You'd think it was the damned Super Bowl, he's so happy," Jefferson grumbles to Ms. Lance, who'd returned with a beer to check on the battle. 

 Mr. Snart is not amused by this himself; he glares at the pieces like they've personally affronted him. The next day, he agrees to a rematch with alacrity when Stein triumphantly brings out the board. 

 Once again, he plays black. 

* * *

Stein can’t remember the last time he was this bored while traveling on the Waverider. They’ve been in the time stream for the last week, Captain Hunter working with Mr. Tyler and Mr. Rory to pinpoint the location of a Dr. Nicholas Heywood. Mr. Tyler says the team needs the man’s skills in their new mission of keeping the timeline intact. 

Or rather, he says the future Mr. Rory told him so. It’s the same reason they picked up Ms. Amaya Jiwe the week before. 

But until they find Dr. Heywood, the rest of the team is at mostly at loose ends. There’s only so much sparring Ms. Lance and Ms. Jiwe can do, and only so much tinkering Jefferson and Dr. Palmer can do. 

Stein lets out a sigh as he sets his just-finished book on his nightstand. He rises and heads to the bridge, hoping to find some other way to pass the time. Just before he gets there, Ms. Lance passes him on the way out, a look of quiet grief on her face. 

Somehow that hits him harder than the raw, angry grief she’d displayed only a couple of weeks ago, right after the Vanishing Point. 

Right after the Oculus. 

He already knows she prefers to be alone when she’s like this, so he doesn’t follow. Instead, he enters the bridge, where Ms. Jiwe is looking bewildered. 

“I only asked if she wanted to play a game of cards,” she says, holding up a familiar pack. When her teammates exchange a sad, knowing look, she says, “What?” 

Jefferson speaks up. “You couldn’t have known,” he says kindly, “but that was kind of her thing with Snart. Just like chess was Gray’s thing with him.”  

The newest member of the team looks stricken, and sets the cards down on the holo table next to Mr. Rory. He grunts and pockets the cards before turning back to studying the holo display with Captain Hunter and Mr. Tyler. 

Stein walks over to the study, where the chessboard remains set up. He picks up the black king, remembering. “You know, if anyone had told me when I first joined this team that I’d find a worthy chess opponent in ‘Captain Cold,’ of all people, I’d have given them the name of a good psychiatrist while patting them on the shoulder.” 

He sets the piece back down, a small tremor in his hands. “Those games were some of the rare times that I’ve enjoyed being wrong.” 

“It’s strange, isn’t it?” Dr. Palmer says. “I keep waiting to hear him say something sarcastic or make fun of me but then nothing happens and I’m still surprised by it.” 

“I think you’re going to be waiting a long time then,” Jefferson mutters. “Unless you’ve got a way to put him back together and bring him back.” 

Something about that last sentence causes Stein to pause, though he doesn’t let on. Instead, he gives the chessboard one more look and heads back to his room, mind already beginning to put together a theory.  

Mr. Rory, while still not the most open of the group, had been quite willing to answer a few questions about his time as Chronos and what the Time Masters had done. It was something that he had said that came to mind now. 

_“It’s not possible to die at the Vanishing Point. You just keep coming back.”_  

Of course, it was entirely possible that the reason Mr. Rory had been able to come back after dying so many times at the Vanishing Point was because of something that the Time Masters had done to him. 

However, there’s the possibility that it is because of something that is part of the Vanishing Point itself. If that’s the case, Stein can’t dismiss the fact that this means there’s a possibility Mr. Snart can be recovered. 

 Stein makes sure to lock his door behind him, pulling out a notebook and beginning to write out a possible formula as he sits on his bed, moving back until he's leaning against the wall. While he would much prefer to do this at the table in Captain Hunter’s study, he can’t risk bringing this up just yet. 

 It would be cruel to offer the team, especially Ms. Lance and Mr. Rory, hope that Mr. Snart is out there and simply in need of their help to come back. 

 After a few minutes of writing, he says, “Gideon, would it be possible for you to look into the plausibility of a theory of mine without alerting the rest of the team, including Captain Hunter? It’s nothing harmful, I assure you, but I’d like to keep it to myself until I’ve confirmed a few things.” 

 “As long as it is theory and brings no harm to the ship, the crew, or the timeline, I am more than happy to go over your theory, Dr. Stein.” 

 Stein’s lips quirk up in a small smile. “Thank you, Gideon.” 

 “It’s my pleasure, Dr. Stein.”  

Stein doubts that an A.I. can experience that type of emotion but he appreciates the sentiment nonetheless. As he begins to outline his theory to Gideon, he thinks of Mr. Snart and this team that has somehow, against all odds, become a family. 

 He allows himself to hope. 

* * *

The jump ship locks into place, and they all hear Captain Hunter shout over the comms, “Get us out of here, Sara!”   

The Waverider’s engine roars as it speeds away from the edge of the singularity. 

Then the airlock to the jump ship opens. Mr. Rory and Captain Hunter stand in the entry, and between them, looking tired and battered but every inch a miracle, stands Leonard Snart.  

 Stein feels tears prick at his eyes, and a prayer of thanksgiving comes unbidden to his lips. He can also feel the joy flowing through his counterpart as Jefferson steps forward for a fist bump and a brief clap of his hand on Mr. Snart’s shoulder.  

 Dr. Palmer is not nearly so reserved in his welcome, wrapping Mr. Snart in a tight hug. Stein can’t help but smile at the annoyed expression on Mr. Snart’s face, and he hears Ms. Jiwe chuckle at the sight. 

 She and Dr. Heywood are hanging back, unsurprisingly. Neither of them know Leonard Snart as anything more than a name.  

 Mr. Snart finally untangles himself from Dr. Palmer with a mutter of, “I got it, Raymond, you’re glad to see me,” when they hear the sound of running feet. Ms. Lance and Mr. Tyler round the corner and skid to a halt. 

 Ms. Lance hesitates for just a moment, then with three steps she is in Mr. Snart’s arms. She touches his face as they stare at each other, then they kiss like the long-lost lovers the whole team knows they are. Tears are running down Ms. Lance’s face when they part, and he cradles her against his chest, stroking her hair, whispering her name over and over. 

 “I’ve never seen her shed a tear before, and _now_ she’s crying?” Stein hears Ms. Jiwe murmur. Then in a louder voice she says, “Sara! The time to be sad is over! More kissing, less crying!” 

 Mr. Snart chuckles. “I like the way the new gal thinks,” he says in a low voice, moving to press his forehead to Ms. Lance’s. But before he can kiss her again, his knees buckle. She catches him as he sags to the floor. 

 “Mr. Snart is suffering the effects of temporal displacement,” Gideon tells them. “He needs rest in the Medbay.” 

 Mr. Rory and Ms. Lance work together to help the stricken man back to his feet. “C’mon, buddy,” Mr. Rory says with a rare smile. “Let’s get you fixed up so you can kiss your girl without passing out.” 

 They help him down the corridor and around the corner, followed by other members of the team. Stein watches them go and says quietly, “Welcome home, Mr. Snart.” 

\-- 

Leonard spends the better part of a day resting in the Medbay, the better part of a night… _not_ resting with Sara in her room, and then more hours resting from their _not_ -rest before he and Sara finally make their way back to the bridge of the Waverider. Rip is at the holo table, looking at some readout, and the Professor is standing in the entry to Rip’s study. 

 Leonard nods at Rip briefly, and walks over to Stein. “Professor, Sara told me you’re the one who worked out how to get me back,” he says. He looks at the equations still covering the glass wall, nearly from floor to ceiling. “She says you worked almost around the clock on this.” 

 Stein shrugs a little. “Once the notion of how to do it struck me, I had to run with it to the logical conclusion.” 

 “Can’t argue with logic. Especially when it brought me home,” Leonard answers, and reaches a hand out to Stein. The scientist looks surprised for a moment, then clasps it in his own as Leonard gives it a firm shake. 

 “Thank you,” Leonard says.  

 “From both of us,” Sara adds, surprising Stein even more with a kiss to his cheek. 

 “You should also thank Dr. Palmer,” Stein says. “He helped with the equations.” 

 Leonard mock-shudders. “He’ll want to hug me again. Once is enough, thanks.” He releases Stein’s hand and drapes his arm around Sara’s shoulders. “But seriously, Professor. I owe you… everything. So if there’s ever anything you need, _ever_ …” 

 “It was my pleasure, Mr. Snart. The Waverider isn’t the same without you on board.” He raises an eyebrow. “But for the moment, perhaps you’ll indulge me…?” 

 Stein takes a step back into Rip’s study and waves a hand at the chess board, carefully set up on the table. “Care for a game?” 

 Leonard smiles. “You’re on.” As Stein moves to the white side of the board, Leonard says, “Ah, Professor? If you don’t mind, this time I think I’ll play white.” 


End file.
